American Thoroughbred Arrogate Wins World’s Biggest Prize

Just for a sense of perspective, imagine that the Melbourne Cup, the Caulfield Cup and the Cox Plate were run and decided simultaneously, with the prize purses all combined and the winner of the race declared the winner of all three races.

In round figures, those three races would offer about $12 million in prize money, and ignoring the exchange rate for the moment, be roughly equivalent to what an American race run yesterday, the Pegasus World Cup, had at stake.

Yet, the race barely made it onto the radar of the U.S. sports scene, worthy of nothing more than a side note in the sports section of major American daily newspapers.

Billed as the World’s richest horse race, it was the inaugural running and only time will tell if it will survive the span that can be claimed by the Melbourne Cup.

The race was won by Arrogate, who handily denied California Chrome from a farewell to racing victory and the chance to become the biggest stakes earner in the history of thoroughbred racing.

Tracing Arrogate’s lines back four generations, Danzig is found, a stallion that has figured prominently in Australian bloodlines once the era of shuttle stallions came into being. He has earned over $US 11 million over the span of seven races with six wins and one third.

California Chrome has raised a far less efficient, but greater total, earning nearly $US 15 million in 27 starts, with 16 wins and 5 placings. His lines include US Triple Crown Winners Seattle Slew and Secretariat.

Makybe Diva holds the Australian prizemoney record, with over $AUD 14 million.